IND's
preparation for its role in helping to host Super Bowl XLVI required extensive coordination with the Super Bowl Host Committee and various local agencies, resulting in enhancements to all aspects of airport operations. From team arrivals to "Super Bowl Monday," when an all-time record number of passengers passed through the terminal (although about 25,000 people flew out that day, TSA wait times remained less than 20 minutes), the airport made a great impression on locals, visitors, and the national media. So it's no surprise that a
statistically valid sampling of passengers departing IND on Monday, Feb. 6, indicated that greater than 90% of them thought IND was one of the best airports they had ever flown out of.

IND rolls out Spring Break parking promotion

Passengers who want to start their vacations earlier by taking advantage of the closest parking to IND will have some extra cash to spend during their trip, thanks to the airport's latest parking offer. From March 1 through April 13 of this year, passengers can go to www.indianapolisairport.com
and print a parking coupon from the "Coupons and Special Promotions" page located under the shopping and dining section. The coupons entitle them to 15% off of long-term parking and 25% off of garage parking. (Minimum duration: five consecutive days. The offer starts March 1, 2012 and parking must begin by the time coupons expire on April 13, 2012. Must present coupon at cashier booth upon exit to redeem. Valet not included. Only one coupon per vehicle).

IAA announces changes at executive director position

In March, the IAA announced that Robert Duncan was returning as interim executive director following the expiration of the three-year letter of intent between the IAA and former executive director John D. Clark III. Duncan, who is beginning his thirty-ninth year of service for the IAA, has held a variety of prior positions for the authority, including staff attorney, general counsel, vice president and general counsel, and chief operating officer.

IAA launches mobile website, multi-platform smartphone app

Browsing
www.indianapolisairport.com on the go is now a lot easier, thanks to the rollout of tw
o enhancements aimed at mobile users. All users who visit the airport's website using handheld devices can now benefit from pages freshly optimized to render content on mobile platforms, including real-time flight information and details about parking, ground transportation, maps and directions, and shops and
restaurants.

Meanwhile, with the launch of the IND Mobile App, IND became one of the few airports in the U.S. with an official app. The IND Mobile App will further enhance the portable delivery of its website content for the Android, iPhone, and iPad platforms.

Boeing's largest airplane starts cargo service to IND; airport scores Air Cargo Excellence award and new nonstop European cargo route

It was an eventful quarter for air cargo at IND. In January, the options for Indiana manufacturers exporting to Europe grew with the addition of a third weekly scheduled all-cargo flight to Luxembourg, Europe. The new international all-cargo flight, which operates on Sundays, was arranged by freight forwarder DB Schenker's Indianapolis office and is operated by Cargolux Airlines using Boeing 747 cargo aircraft.

Also in January,
Cargolux Airlines brought the newest addition to its fleet, the Boeing 747-8F, to IND. This latest generation of the 747 cargo aircraft provides Cargolux with more capacity through IND to handle the region's European imports/exports while also achieving greater fuel efficiency. The new Boeing 747-8F is 18 feet longer than its predecessor, the 747-400F, with a maximum payload capacity of 134 metric tons. Due to the aircraft's increased size, IND is one of only 21 airports approved by the FAA to receive the 747-8F.

And in March,
IND's achievements in air cargo were again recognized, with the airport being named as one of the best airports in its class in this economically vital sector. IND's fourth Air Cargo Award in as many years was presented by Air Cargo World, a leading publication in the airfreight industry.

IND is home to the world's second-largest FedEx Express operation and the nation's eighth-largest cargo facility. While it often receives less attention, air cargo helps support passenger service by generating income for the airport and lowering costs for passenger carriers. IND's position as a top-ten U.S. cargo airport is a strategic advantage and will continue to play a central role in the airport's development in many areas.

Awards round up

The IAA was recognized with several additional awards in the quarter. Here is a summary:

Sodalis Nature Park opened last May in the southeast corner of Hendricks County, at 7700 S. County Road 975 East in Plainfield, Indiana. on property owned by the IAA. The unique name came from the federally endangered Indiana bat, Myotis sodalis, which inhabits wooded areas in and around the park that have been protected for the Indiana bat under a Habitat Conservation Plan. The park is operated and maintained by Hendricks County Parks and Recreation (HCPR).

The park consists of 210 acres of land that were previously closed to the public and that serve as a refuge for more than 100 species of wildlife, including the Indiana bat. It offers a 5.5-acre catch-and-release fishing pond, more than three miles of nature trails, a quarter mile of paved trails, educational areas, picnic areas, and other amenities. The park allows visitors the rare opportunity to enjoy a robust, permanently protected wildlife habitat, something they will not experience at any other park in the region, particularly one located in a major metropolitan area. To say it has been well accepted is an understatement, as 51,000 visitors explored the park from May
through December last year.

IAA's Chief Legal Officer elected as chair of State Employees' Appeals Commission

The IAA is pleased to announce that its chief legal officer, Mr. Joseph R. Heerens, has been elected as chairman of the State Employees' Appeals Commission (SEAC). Appointed as a commissioner by Indiana Governor Daniels last July, Heerens assumed the chairmanship in late February of this year following a unanimous vote by his fellow SEAC commissioners, who make up the bipartisan group.